Newberry Library - A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

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Open book A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

Title A trip to the gold regions of the Rocky Mountains in the summer of 1860 1860

Creator Young, John D. (John David), 1839-1898

Date 1860

Place Colorado, Great Plains, Illinois--Chicago, Overland Trails, Saint Joe Road

Language English

Subjects Frontier and pioneer life, Gold miners, Gold mines and mining, Indians of North America

Summary John D. Young's narrative of his 1860 round trip from Chicago to the Colorado gold fields and his experiences there, probably composed in Chicago after the trip. Contains full descriptions of encounters with frontier justice, friendly and hostile Indians (Potawatomi, Pawnee, Comanche, Arapahoe, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne), a Rocky Mountain forest fire, great buffalo herds, a "hurricane" at Marysville, and a prairie dog village. Also discussed in detail are rich Missouri farmlands poorly utilized under slavery, the Pony Express, towns and forts (Quincy, St. Joseph, Marysville, Fort Kearny, Denver, Tarryall), scenery and terrain, road conditions, diet, clothing, equipment, diggings (Tarryall, Blue River, California Gulch, etc.), methods of gold extraction, claim salting, etc.

Biographical/Historical Note Colorado gold rush participant and Ottawa, Ill., lumber merchant.

Extent 1 v. (120 p.) ; 32 cm

Format Sources, Manuscripts, Travel literature, Transcripts

User-Contributed Transcription 44We had now entered sixty miles into the most strange [unclear] were getting heartily tired of the monotony of hills and valleysall the time I thought the prairie tiresome and dreary but they are fine compared to the mountains the constant [unclear: gravity?] of them ever before around and above you brings on a[unclear] and you long to see a few acres of [unclear] groundOn the third afternoon after leaving the [unclear: Platte?] we were [unclear] slowly along up and down the rocks we climbed up onrougher than usual wound slowly round its lofty basewhen suddenly on rounding its corner I thought for a momentthat I was flying through the air a most grand and magnificentsight burst on our view looking like a vast sea dotted [unclear] there the great Central Park of the Rocky Mountains stretched at our feet I thought it was the grandest sightI had ever [unclear] It seemed as if we had been [unclear] [unclear] through dangers difficulties and storms and at last[unclear] reached the haven of peace We all stood entranced[unclear] for a few moments gazing intently [unclear] the splendid scene then we had to give [unclear] to our feet[unclear] some way so shouted with all our might [unclear] [unclear] for several minutes [unclear] last getting [unclear] down [unclear] [unclear] we made a few observations before decending intothe park it looked to be a vast plain level as a lake [unclear] [unclear] streams dotting its surface in all directions itwas seemingly eighty miles long and thirty broad boundedon all sides by the blue snow capped mountains [unclear] [unclear] which we were standing We stood admiring the [unclear] about half an hourand then prepared to [unclear] [unclear] it was plainly in sight twenty milesThis is a most remarkable freak of nature in the centre of theRocky Mountains at an elevation of eight thousand feet above the sea To find a broad level prairie grass growing there[unclear] and not a hill in all its [unclear] Its level [unclear] wonder [unclear]

Transcription Status Needs review

Transcription Note This document was transcribed by volunteers as part of the Newberry Transcribe crowdsourcing initiative.

Archival Collection Title Edward E. Ayer Manuscript Collection

Link to Catalog View record

Call Number VAULT Ayer MS 3210

BibID 991330378805867

Rights Status No Copyright - United States

Contributing Institution Newberry Library

Newberry Open Access Policy The Newberry makes its collections available for any lawful purpose, commercial or non-commercial, without licensing or permission fees to the library, subject to these terms and conditions.

IIIF Resource Type Canvas

Size 2483px × 3824px 27.20 MB

File Created 08/21/2023

Filename 991330378805867_Ayer_MS_3210_00023.tif

Unique Identifier NL11LVOX

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